I'm still here, honest I am .. really!

And I so apologize .. it's been 3 months since I've blogged here! I've been on Facebook, I've been on Twitter and I guess that much social media took me away from thoughts posted here. I'm sorry .. honest I am!

So .. what's going on in my world.

I'm fighting the 'itchies'! Have hives right now from stress (I internalize too much and then I suffer!) - this coming week: working Monday and Tuesday and getting ordering done and a weeks worth of invoices paid; driving to Columbus Wednesday for TNNA Retail Council meetings on Thursday and staying till noon on Friday for class sessions assisting the TNNA Member Meeting; then hightailing it home to start getting my booth /displays set up before 6:30pm for the Art Fair beginning on Saturday is taking a bit of a toll on me.
So .. I was out in the 'cat pen' last weekend. We have this long wire enclosed dog run with dog house in it that the dogs never went in, but the cats love it out there where they can be outside AND safe. The grass was about 2' high due to all the rain and too much for a mower to tackle, so I was out there with hedge trimmer shears getting the grass cut.
Dave wanders out and says .. 'you do know there's poison ivy in there, don't you'? HUH? I'm in tee shirt, shorts and sandals and not wearing gloves! "Why haven't you been spraying it with killer stuffs?" "I didn't want the kitties to get in the poison". "What about them getting into the poison ivy and bringing it into the house with them?" "Oh they won't do that .. it's all around the doghouse and right where you're clipping and they don't go there". "WHAT!!!!!!!! We get second-hand poison ivy every year from the dog when he's in it .. we will from the cats too!" "But Deb, it looks so pretty around the doghouse .. like a little ivy covered cottage!"
Needless to say .. I have hives on my arms and a bit on my legs from nerves .. and poison ivy (not as terribly bad as it could be, but itchy icky bumps all the same) all over the backs of my hands and spreading up onto my arms. Between Eucerin lotion and Benedryl cream, I'm fully supporting the local Rite-Aid pharmacy! But I feel that a steroid shot is also in my very near future (like before I leave for Columbus!).

I've been needle felting like a crazed being getting new stuffs created for the upcoming Art Fair at the Flint Institute Of Art this coming Saturday and Sunday (June 11 and 12th). If you're in the Flint area http://www.flintarts.org/visit/directions.html , come by and say HI - I'd like to just see you and have the opportunity to chat. Dave will be assisting me in my booth on Saturday from 10am - 6pm (he was my only choice as helper!) and that should be interesting. This is so not his thing, and being 'forced' to talk to people he hasn't known since birth is going to be rough going for him .. but .. he IS agreeably helping me with that one day! Kathy will be working with me on Sunday from 11am till 5pm.
I've also applied for acceptance in another juried art show for the end of August .. wish me luck on getting into that one. So, if my fiber art is approved, I'll be needle felting more stuffs after June is over so that I'll have new items for that show too!

Still stitching away in my, um, spare time on Lizzie Kate's Halloween Rules, using buttons from Just Another Button Company in place of some of the 'stitched' designs. It will become a bell pull instead of a framed model for the shop. I'm about 1/2 way through now and it's looking great! Of course, that doesn't stop me from collecting other designs to put in my "hey I gotta stitch these" stash pile!

And I'm adding books all the time for reading on my Kindle AND adding books on tape (also for my Kindle) from Audible.com. I've been listening to quite a few while I needle felt. I can watch TV (for the most part) while I'm stitching, but watch while felting .. it puts my fingers at too great a risk! I've got "Water For Elephants" waiting for me to listen to while I drive to and from Columbus. Right now I'm re-reading "Changes" from The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher and hoping that the next edition in this series comes soon! Someone told me to check out books by Michael Baron .. anyone familiar with his stuff??
Kathy had given this link to me http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/ but I must confess I'd not checked it out yet. Think I just may do so a bit later today!! I'm trying to force myself to just kick back and take it easy today ... instead of trying to see what else I can felt in the few remaining moments before everything has to be packed up (today) for taking to the Flint Art Fair. overachiever? insane? that would be me!